1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tape-like electronic component package receiving electronic components in a plurality of cavities distributed along the longitudinal direction of a receiving tape, and more particularly, it relates to an improvement which makes it possible to withdraw electronic components from a tape-like package provided with a plurality of rows of cavities distributed along the longitudinal direction of the package.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A tape-like electronic component package, which can be directly mounted on an automatic apparatus and fed at a constant pitch so that the electronic components are picked up in a prescribed position and then supplied to a desired printed circuit board or the like, is conveniently employed in automated assembling steps of the electronic components.
Generally, tape-like electronic component package comprise a receiving tape having a plurality of cavities provided in a row. In general, such package are spirally wound around reels to be mounted on an automatic feed apparatus. The reels are prepared as a function of the types and numbers of electronic components required for a printed circuit board for example, so that the tape-like electronic component package is drawn out from the respective reels (are stored on reels and drawn out therefrom) arranged in coaxially.
In general, a number of electronic components of the same type are mounted on a printed circuit board such that, for example, between 10 and 50 of a total of 100 electronic components used in the circuit board are of the same type. When, in this case, the electronic components of the same type are picked up from a tape-like electronic component package drawn out from a reel, the reel is emptied in a short time thereby increasing the frequency at which the reel must be changed. The entire apparatus must be stopped to exchange such a reel, whereby the rate of operation is reduced.
In order to reduce the time required for reel exchange to the minimum, spares for the reel supplying a large number of electronic components are prearranged in a reel set position as a function of the number of the electronic components as required. While this reduces the space requirements for the reels, the apparatus must still inevitably be stopped every time a reel is emptied.
On the other hand, there has been proposed a tape-like electronic component package which comprises a receiving tape provided with a plurality of rows of cavities (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,298,120, FIG. 8). In this case, a larger number of electronic components can be supplied from one reel, whereby the area efficiency is improved.
However, while the aforementioned package is provided with a plurality of rows of cavities, the cavities of each row are aligned in the cross direction of the receiving tape. Therefore, when a cover sheet for covering openings of the cavities is stripped from an end in the longitudinal direction thereof in order to withdraw the electronic components from the cavities, the plurality of cavities aligned in the cross direction of the receiving tape are simultaneously exposed. In theory, the plurality of electronic components may ideally be picked up from the simultaneously exposed cavities by driving a plurality of chucks at once. In practice, such an operation is impossible. Even if a plurality of cavities are simultaneously exposed, as a practical matter the electronic components must be picked up one by one. Thus, the electronic component of the set which is to be picked up second may fall out of the cavities or inclined relative to the cavity due to an external influence such as vibration or the like. The electronic components cannot be properly picked up in such a state.